1937–38 FA Cup


The FA Cup 1937–38 was the 63rd staging of the world's oldest football cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup. Preston North End won the competition for the second time, beating Huddersfield Town 1–0 after extra time in the final at Wembley.
Matches were scheduled to be played at the stadium of the team named first on the date specified for each round, which was always a Saturday. Some matches, however, might be rescheduled for other days if there were clashes with games for other competitions or the weather was inclement. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played, a replay would take place at the stadium of the second-named team later the same week. If the replayed match was drawn further replays would be held until a winner was determined. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played in a replay, a 30-minute period of extra time would be played.

Calendar

First round proper

At this stage 43 clubs from the Football League Third Division North and South joined the 25 non-league clubs having come through the qualifying rounds. Chester, Millwall and Notts County were given a bye to the Third Round. To make the number of matches up, non-league Dulwich Hamlet and Walthamstow Avenue were given byes to this round. 34 matches were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 27 November 1937. Nine were drawn and went to replays in the following midweek fixture, with one of these going to a second replay.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Darlington0–2Scarborough27 November 1937
2Bournemouth0–0Dartford27 November 1937
ReplayDartford0–6Bournemouth1 December 1937
3Barrow0–1Crewe Alexandra27 November 1937
4Bristol City3–0Enfield27 November 1937
5Rochdale1–1Lincoln City27 November 1937
ReplayLincoln City2–0Rochdale1 December 1937
6Watford3–0Cheltenham Town27 November 1937
7Walsall4–0Gateshead27 November 1937
8Gillingham3–4Swindon Town27 November 1937
9Doncaster Rovers7–0Blyth Spartans27 November 1937
10Wrexham2–1Oldham Athletic27 November 1937
11Tranmere Rovers2–1Carlisle United27 November 1937
12Wellington Town1–2Mansfield Town27 November 1937
13Kidderminster Harriers2–2Newport County27 November 1937
ReplayNewport County4–1Kidderminster Harriers2 December 1937
14Accrington Stanley1–1Lancaster Town27 November 1937
ReplayLancaster Town1–1Accrington Stanley1 December 1937
ReplayAccrington Stanley4–0Lancaster Town6 December 1937
15Bristol Rovers1–8Queens Park Rangers27 November 1937
16Northampton Town1–2Cardiff City27 November 1937
17King's Lynn0–4Bromley27 November 1937
18Brighton & Hove Albion5–1Tunbridge Wells Rangers27 November 1937
19Hull City4–0Scunthorpe United27 November 1937
20Crystal Palace2–2Kettering Town27 November 1937
ReplayKettering Town0–4Crystal Palace2 December 1937
21Exeter City1–0Folkestone27 November 1937
22Hartlepools United3–1Southport27 November 1937
23Burton Town1–1Rotherham United27 November 1937
ReplayRotherham United3–0Burton Town29 November 1937
24Port Vale1–1Gainsborough Trinity27 November 1937
ReplayGainsborough Trinity2–1Port Vale1 December 1937
25Yeovil & Petter's United2–1Ipswich Town27 November 1937
26Dulwich Hamlet1–2Aldershot27 November 1937
27Walker Celtic1–1Bradford City27 November 1937
ReplayBradford City11–3Walker Celtic1 December 1937
28New Brighton5–0Workington27 November 1937
29Torquay United1–2Clapton Orient27 November 1937
30Westbury United1–3Walthamstow Avenue27 November 1937
31Corinthian0–2Southend United27 November 1937
32York City1–1Halifax Town27 November 1937
ReplayHalifax Town0–1York City1 December 1937
33Guildford City1–0Reading27 November 1937
34Wigan Athletic1–4South Liverpool27 November 1937

Second Round Proper

The matches were played on Saturday, 11 December 1937, with two matches postponed until the 15th. Four matches were drawn, with replays taking place in the following midweek fixture.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Watford3–0Walsall11 December 1937
2Crewe Alexandra2–2New Brighton15 December 1937
ReplayNew Brighton4–1Crewe Alexandra20 December 1937
3Swindon Town2–1Queens Park Rangers11 December 1937
4Scarborough4–1Bromley11 December 1937
5Doncaster Rovers4–0Guildford City11 December 1937
6Wrexham1–2Bradford City11 December 1937
7Tranmere Rovers3–1Hartlepools United11 December 1937
8Accrington Stanley0–1Crystal Palace11 December 1937
9South Liverpool1–1Brighton & Hove Albion11 December 1937
ReplayBrighton & Hove Albion6–0South Liverpool15 December 1937
10Clapton Orient2–2York City11 December 1937
ReplayYork City1–0Clapton Orient15 December 1937
11Exeter City1–2Hull City11 December 1937
12Mansfield Town2–1Lincoln City15 December 1937
13Cardiff City1–1Bristol City11 December 1937
ReplayBristol City0–2Cardiff City15 December 1937
14Newport County2–1Bournemouth11 December 1937
15Yeovil & Petter's United2–1Gainsborough Trinity11 December 1937
16Walthamstow Avenue0–1Southend United11 December 1937
17Rotherham United1–3Aldershot11 December 1937

Third round proper

The 44 First and Second Division clubs entered the competition at this stage, along with Chester, Millwall and Notts County. The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 8 January 1938. Seven matches were drawn and went to replays, with one of these requiring a second replay to settle the fixture.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Birmingham0–1Blackpool8 January 1938
2Bury2–0Brighton & Hove Albion8 January 1938
3Preston North End3–0West Ham United8 January 1938
4Nottingham Forest3–1Southampton8 January 1938
5Sheffield Wednesday1–1Burnley8 January 1938
ReplayBurnley3–1Sheffield Wednesday12 January 1938
6Grimsby Town1–1Swindon Town8 January 1938
ReplaySwindon Town2–1Grimsby Town12 January 1938
7Middlesbrough2–0Stockport County8 January 1938
8West Bromwich Albion1–0Newcastle United8 January 1938
9Sunderland1–0Watford8 January 1938
10Derby County1–2Stoke City8 January 1938
11Scarborough1–1Luton Town8 January 1938
ReplayLuton Town5–1Scarborough12 January 1938
12Doncaster Rovers0–2Sheffield United8 January 1938
13Tranmere Rovers1–2Portsmouth8 January 1938
14Tottenham Hotspur3–2Blackburn Rovers8 January 1938
15Brentford3–1Fulham8 January 1938
16Manchester United3–0Yeovil & Petter's United8 January 1938
17Norwich City2–3Aston Villa8 January 1938
18Bradford City1–1Chesterfield8 January 1938
ReplayChesterfield1–1Bradford City12 January 1938
ReplayBradford City0–2Chesterfield17 January 1938
19Millwall2–2Manchester City8 January 1938
ReplayManchester City3–1Millwall12 January 1938
20Crystal Palace0–0Liverpool8 January 1938
ReplayLiverpool3–1Crystal Palace12 January 1938
21Chelsea0–1Everton8 January 1938
22Southend United2–2Barnsley8 January 1938
ReplayBarnsley2–1Southend United11 January 1938
23Bradford Park Avenue7–4Newport County8 January 1938
24Huddersfield Town3–1Hull City8 January 1938
25Mansfield Town1–2Leicester City8 January 1938
26Swansea Town0–4Wolverhampton Wanderers8 January 1938
27Charlton Athletic5–0Cardiff City8 January 1938
28Arsenal3–1Bolton Wanderers8 January 1938
29Leeds United3–1Chester8 January 1938
30New Brighton1–0Plymouth Argyle8 January 1938
31York City3–2Coventry City8 January 1938
32Aldershot1–3Notts County8 January 1938

Fourth Round Proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 22 January 1938. Four games were drawn and went to replays.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Chesterfield3–2Burnley22 January 1938
2Preston North End2–0Leicester City22 January 1938
3Nottingham Forest1–3Middlesbrough22 January 1938
4Aston Villa4–0Blackpool22 January 1938
5Wolverhampton Wanderers1–2Arsenal22 January 1938
6Luton Town2–1Swindon Town22 January 1938
7Everton0–1Sunderland22 January 1938
8Sheffield United1–1Liverpool22 January 1938
ReplayLiverpool1–0Sheffield United26 January 1938
9Manchester City3–1Bury22 January 1938
10Barnsley2–2Manchester United22 January 1938
ReplayManchester United1–0Barnsley26 January 1938
11Brentford2–1Portsmouth22 January 1938
12Bradford Park Avenue1–1Stoke City22 January 1938
ReplayStoke City1–2Bradford Park Avenue26 January 1938
13Huddersfield Town1–0Notts County22 January 1938
14Charlton Athletic2–1Leeds United22 January 1938
15New Brighton0–0Tottenham Hotspur22 January 1938
ReplayTottenham Hotspur5–2New Brighton26 January 1938
16York City3–2West Bromwich Albion22 January 1938

Fifth Round Proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 12 February 1938. There were two replays, of which one went to a second replay.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Chesterfield2–2Tottenham Hotspur12 February 1938
ReplayTottenham Hotspur2–1Chesterfield16 February 1938
2Liverpool0–1Huddersfield Town12 February 1938
3Sunderland1–0Bradford Park Avenue12 February 1938
4Luton Town1–3Manchester City12 February 1938
5Brentford2–0Manchester United12 February 1938
6Charlton Athletic1–1Aston Villa12 February 1938
ReplayAston Villa2–2Charlton Athletic16 February 1938
ReplayAston Villa4–1Charlton Athletic21 February 1938
7Arsenal0–1Preston North End12 February 1938
8York City1–0Middlesbrough12 February 1938

Sixth Round Proper

The four quarter-final ties were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 5 March 1938. There was one replay, in the Huddersfield Town–York City match.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Aston Villa3–2Manchester City5 March 1938
2Tottenham Hotspur0–1Sunderland5 March 1938
3Brentford0–3Preston North End5 March 1938
4York City0–0Huddersfield Town5 March 1938
ReplayHuddersfield Town2–1York City9 March 1938

Semi-finals

The semi-final matches were played on Saturday, 26 March 1938. Preston North End and Huddersfield Town won their matches to meet in the final at Wembley.
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Final

The 1938 FA Cup Final was contested by Preston North End and Huddersfield Town at Wembley. Preston, losing finalists the previous year, won by a single goal. After 29 minutes of extra time it was still 0–0 and BBC commentator Thomas Woodrooffe said "if there's a goal scored now, I'll eat my hat". Seconds later, Preston were awarded a penalty, from which George Mutch scored the winning goal; Woodrooffe kept his promise.

Match details